One of the key positions that everyone feels the Chicago Bears are going to target in the 2026 NFL Draft is at center.
Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman told the Bears he's retired from the NFL, leaving them to execute a trade for New England Patriots' Garrett Bradbury. While it appears they have their starting center for at least 2026, Bears fans are wondering whether they are looking to the draft to address the position's future.
Iowa center Logan Jones has been a name attached to late Day 2 or early Day 3 as a pick for the Bears. According to Bears insider Erik Lambert, that might not have as much interest as they reportedly did when they skipped Iowa's Pro Day.
Are the Bears trying to trick the NFL into thinking they aren't interested in Logan Jones?
Jones made quite the impression on NFL teams when he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the offensive linemen with a 4.9-second run. He's about as good as they come with centers in the draft, as last season with the Hawkeyes, he won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center, won the Joe Moore Award for the nation's best offensive line, was selected as a unanimous All-American, and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Before then, he was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2024 and the third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023.
There are a lot of other good options at center that include Kansas State's Sam Hecht, but Jones might be the most athletic in the draft. He would be a great selection for the Bears, as they wouldn't have to use any of their first and second round picks to get him.
Bradberry has a chance to run away with the job in the future, but he has been an average center at best in the NFL since joining the league with the Minnesota Vikings. Jones could come in and watch how Bradberry does things before potentially taking over in 2027.
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The Bears can't miss out on a center in this year's draft with how good the class is, so if Poles is trying to trick the NFL into thinking he's not going after Jones, that might not work. Everyone knows Chicago is interested in finding a center in this year's draft.